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Lakers

Day 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs featured the Miami Heat taking a game off the mighty Boston Celtics, stealing their home-court advantage. It was a tough win for the Heat, who were without superstar Jimmy Butler and midseason acquisition Terry Rozier. The Oklahoma City Thunder, on the other hand, handled their business against the New Orleans Pelicans by blowing them out of the house after a tight game 1 win.
Check out the recap here:
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FINAL SCORE THREAD 🧵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 2 🏀 MIA 111 - 101 BOS - Series lead 1-1 Heat 🔥 Tyler Herro 📊 24 PTS | 14 AST | 5 REB | 6-11 3P<a href="https://twitter.com/Bam1of1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bam1of1</a> 📊 21 PTS | 10 REB | 9-13 FG<a href="https://twitter.com/Calebmartin14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Calebmartin14</a> 📊 21 PTS | 5-6 3P Celtics ☘️ Jaylen Brown 📊 33 PTS | 8 REB | 13-23 FG Jayson&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/bb1IYtEyEv">pic.twitter.com/bb1IYtEyEv</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1783314142667129053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> - Game 2 🏀 NOP 92 - 104 OKC | Thunder lead series 2-0 Thunder ⚡ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 📊 33 PTS | 13-19 FG | 3-5 3P | 5 AST | 2 STL Chet Holmgren 📊 26 PTS | 9-13 FG | 3-6 3P | 7 REB Jalen Williams 📊 21 PTS | 10-17 FG | 7 AST | 5 REB Pelicans 🦤 Jonas&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/bru0y32XOH">pic.twitter.com/bru0y32XOH</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1783349982009127289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Day 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs featured the Heat taking a game off the mighty Celtics to steal their home-court advantage.

2024 NBA Playoffs Day 5 Recap: Miami surprises Boston, OKC routs NOLA

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; LeBron James had 25 points and 10 assists in his return from an illness, Russell Westbrook added 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-114 Friday night for their first four-game winning streak in just under a year.
Kendrick Nunn had 23 points in the highest-scoring performance of his tenure with the injury-depleted Lakers, who never trailed while beating the Hawks for the second time in eight days. Los Angeles won in Atlanta on Dec. 30 with James scoring 47 points on his 38th birthday.
The Lakers jumped to a 26-point lead in the first half of the rematch and hung on comfortably for their fifth win in six games overall. They hadn't won four straight since Jan. 7, 2022, when they also beat Atlanta in Los Angeles.
Thomas Bryant had 19 points and 13 rebounds for LA, while Dennis Schr&ouml;der scored 21.
&ldquo;There are going to be times where guys go down, unfortunately, and we have a group of guys that have just been preparing themselves for when it's their moment to play and play well,&rdquo; Westbrook said. &ldquo;Seems like we've been hitting a good stride of figuring that out.&rdquo;
Trae Young scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half for the Hawks, who have lost five of six. Unable to overcome a dismal first half, Atlanta has lost two of three on its four-game California road trip.
&ldquo;We didn't do a good job stopping the ball (or) protecting the paint," Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We had some fight in the second half, but just too deep of a hole.&rdquo;
James returned to the Lakers' lineup after sitting out Wednesday's impressive victory over Miami with a bad cold, but Los Angeles played without Anthony Davis, Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown, Damian Jones and Austin Reaves, the newest addition to Los Angeles' long injury list with a strained left hamstring.
Coach Darvin Ham sees a bright side in Davis' latest lengthy injury absence for the healthy Lakers.
&ldquo;It's motivating them to step their games up,&rdquo; Ham said. &ldquo;They know I'll put anybody out there, and if they're playing the right way, they'll play a significant amount of minutes.&rdquo;
Reaves and Walker, who has left knee tendinitis, are both out for at least two more weeks, depriving the Lakers (18-21) of two key rotational players as they attempt to keep up their overall solid play since a 2-10 start. Los Angeles used its 21st starting lineup of the 39-game season against Atlanta.
&ldquo;The Rubik's Cube was one of my favorite toys growing up,&rdquo; Ham said before the game. &ldquo;Coming in real handy right now.&rdquo;
After putting up 37 points in their highest-scoring first quarter of the year, the Lakers opened a 26-point lead in the second. Their 21-point halftime lead was also their largest of the season.
Young scored 17 points in the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Hawks: McMillan got a technical foul while Atlanta trailed by 13 with 4:10 to play for arguing a foul called on John Collins. ... Clint Capela missed his sixth straight game with a right calf strain.
Lakers: Sterling Brown played three minutes for LA about nine hours after signing a 10-day contract with the Lakers. He played under Ham while both were with the Bucks from 2018-20. Brown is the younger brother of Shannon Brown, who won NBA titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. ... Gail Goodrich was the honorary captain. The 79-year-old Los Angeles native and Hall of Famer played nine of his 14 NBA seasons with the Lakers.
&nbsp;

LeBron James had 25 points, Russell Westbrook added 18 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-114.

LeBron leads Lakers past Hawks 130-114 for 4th straight win

Basketball News highlights the reporting, analysis and podcasts that defined a year of basketball in 2022.

Best of Basketball News: Spotlighting our top content from 2022

<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1575651435823628288" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski </a>reports that the Oklahoma City Thunder are trading Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Moe Harkless, Theo Maledon and a 2025 second-round pick via Atlanta to the Houston Rockets for David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss.
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ESPN Sources: The Oklahoma City Thunder are trading Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Moe Harkless, Theo Maledon and a 2025 second-round pick via Atlanta to the Houston Rockets for David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1575651435823628288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Cap-centric deal for both teams: Thunder gain two trade exceptions and drop about $10M under luxury tax. Rockets get a second-round pick for taking on $1M in salary. Favors will have value as a backup center, or elsewhere on a trade in marketplace too. <a href="https://t.co/k8zpgthwOh">https://t.co/k8zpgthwOh</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1575651979967139840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Thunder have traded Derrick Favors and three others to the Rockets for four players in a deal that gets OKC under the luxury tax.

Thunder send Derrick Favors to Rockets as part of 8-player swap

Howard Beck is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who was front and center during NBA Commissioner Adam Silver&rsquo;s press conference on Wednesday. His direct question to Silver about the difference in behavioral standards and accountability for Robert Sarver vs. any other employee in the NBA went viral, as many were shocked by the Commissioner&rsquo;s answer.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"There are particular rights here to someone who owns an NBA team as opposed to somebody who is an employee." Adam Silver answered <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardBeck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HowardBeck</a>'s question as to why there is a different standard held for Robert Sarver as an owner in the NBA (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBATV</a>) <a href="https://t.co/ndmwDr7rkN">pic.twitter.com/ndmwDr7rkN</a>
&mdash; Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1570142214042288136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
On Thursday morning, Beck <a href="http://archive.wpfwfm.org/mp3/wpfw_220915_100000collision.mp3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined my show with Dave Zirin</a> ("The Collision, Where Sports And Politics Collide&rdquo;) to discuss how the Sarver situation differs from the Donald Sterling investigation.
Dave Zirin: What was the mood at that presser? Did you feel like you were alone in having this concern, this question of the hypocrisy at play?&nbsp;
Howard Beck: "Yeah, I mean, just to set the scene a little bit... This is at a Midtown hotel that the NBA uses often, and so this is a very ornate ballroom that is always set up for Adam Silver's press conferences following a Board of Governors' meeting. It feels pretty formal in those rooms. It's interesting to think about Donald Sterling, which we'll get to, I'm sure, but eight years ago that had to be moved to a massive hotel ballroom at a different hotel because of obviously the international interest. I mean, CNN was there and I think Inside Edition or one of those [shows] and all the TV entertainment shows, like TMZ, everybody. There were hundreds of people in the room for the Sterling thing because of the nature of that and because of how public it was in the wake of the tape. This was a much more scaled down, kind of sedate, very formal news conference.
"It was a smaller group, maybe a dozen of us, and we're there to ask Adam, I think, just questions about the process, how they reached it. Clearly by my question and some others', we're also bringing to the table, 'These are the concerns, if not our own necessarily, but the things we know are out there. This is how the public is reacting.' People would like to know why this is different to Donald Sterling. To the point of my question to him, why a team owner can do things and still hold his position that the average employee would be fired for within seconds. It's not an emotional back and forth. It's a fairly standard press conference where you're just looking to see where Adam Silver's rationale is... trying to get the best explanation for the public and to inform whatever pieces we may be writing about it. There's not a tone in there. It's just a back-and-forth standard press conference in the way I felt it."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Etan Thomas: I want to ask you specifically about his explanation of how it's so different than the situation with Donald Sterling.
Howard Beck: "If you want to drill down, and listen, we should remember this throughout our discussion today and anybody's discussion of any of this: Adam Silver's a lawyer by trade. He's been the Commissioner for eight or so years now. He's worked in the NBA for a couple decades, 20 maybe closer to 30 years. He's a lawyer by training, and the people who wrote this report on Robert Sarver are lawyers. It was a law firm that was hired to do it.
"Keep that in mind when we talk about the differences between Sarver and Sterling, because I think the facts that are on the table and viewing it through the prism of, if you're a lawyer processing this and you're thinking about what you can prove versus what is clear, what you can accomplish versus what you would like to accomplish, which may be different things... Look at it through the lens of a lawyer. I think sometimes that's helpful to understand how the league got to where it did.
"Donald Sterling, when it happened, there was a tape. There's that. Smoking gun right out the gate. No smoking gun when Baxter Holmes' story for ESPN first comes out last November. There was this wait and see. We got to have an investigation. We got to hire this law firm. They're going to interview hundreds of people. The law firm has finished its work. We now have that in hand. There's still no smoking gun that is comparable to Donald Sterling being taped by his mistress surreptitiously saying a bunch of horrendously offensive things, racist things that the whole world then got to listen to together repeatedly. That's the first piece. The second piece is that when the Sterling..."
Etan Thomas: Wait, wait, wait. Before we go to the second piece, let me just follow that up. Was it more about the court of public opinion or is it more of the legal court? Because if they interviewed all the people, they never said &mdash; and you correct me if I'm wrong &mdash; that the interviewees didn't coincide with the allegations.
Howard Beck: "Right."
Etan Thomas: They didn't have any of that, so there was no dispute on if he actually said what he was accused of saying, correct?
Howard Beck: "Yeah, for the most part. When Sarver responded to the report and to the suspension the other day, his quotes for his statement that he put out basically were like, 'I accept this and I'm sorry, but I don't agree with all of the chapter in verse.' There was a little bit of quibbling still even as he was accepting the results. We don't know which of those things there were. But yes, you're right, largely everything that had been alleged has now been corroborated through hundreds and hundreds of interviews by the law firm. Yes, but I'm saying... You asked the right question, of course, which is, 'Are we talking about court or court of public opinion?' I think it's both.
"To go back to Sterling for a minute... Here's the full scope of what happens with Sterling. There's a tape, so everybody can be appalled by hearing it themselves. It's not just reports of what somebody said or witnesses heard. We are all hearing it, so there's that shock value. Then on top of that, it happens during the playoffs. It happens involving Donald Sterling's team during the playoffs, and now they're going out to the court with their jerseys on inside-out as a form of quiet protest, but talking amongst themselves [about not playing] and surely the league, of course, was aware that. You've got a threat of a player strike. You've got sponsors fleeing. You've got the whole world saying, 'NBA, what are you going to do? How can you have this guy in your midst?'
"The pressure on the league at that moment was intense. Thus the hundreds and hundreds of media members in a ballroom for Adam Silver's press conference versus the dozen yesterday. The circumstances were so different that, I think, when you ask about the court of public opinion versus what you can prove in court or what the NBA can prove if they need to, to justify ousting an owner, it all kind of merges a little bit, because you need the groundswell of support. You need the public support. You need the players to be pushing in a certain direction. You need to get enough of the other NBA owners to support you as Commissioner, because Adam Silver cannot unilaterally oust anybody. He doesn't have that power.
"Because of the groundswell of outrage that happened with the Sterling case and how immediate it was and how intense it was, Adam Silver had all of the backing in the world, all the political capital, if you want to put it in those terms, to make the tough decision and say, 'He's done, he's out.' Plus, Donald Sterling had an estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, who was a part owner of the team and could wrest control from him, which helped the NBA immensely in that whole process. When you ask why it's different... Listen, racism is racism, sexism is sexism, misogyny is misogyny, and hostile workplace environment and everything else that's happened under Sarver is what it is. But the political reality of trying to remove an owner, that's why it's different than Sterling. It's the things I just laid out. Those things make, I think, the path to trying to resolve this in the same fashion much more difficult."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Dave Zirin: I think the key element there, Howard, is the idea of a player revolt during the playoffs as opposed to an offseason where it's difficult to get comment. Chris Paul weighed in, LeBron James weighed in. But it's not the sort of thing where there are cameras in the faces of players after every game asking their opinion. Did you see that as a vital difference in terms of the court of public opinion?
Howard Beck: "This is one of the things that's interesting to me. If the NBA... Now listen, I'm not going to say the NBA had complete control over the timing of the investigation. That's always kind of a murky thing to try to assess, but all along we've been going, 'What's taking so long? What's taking so long?' I asked Adam that question multiple times at multiple press conferences over the last year. The NBA's best option in this case would've been to have this investigation, this report, come out like a month or a month-and-a-half ago in the dead of the offseason so that by the time Media Day comes along and training camps open, we've all kind of forgotten about it.
"This is now fresh in everybody's minds. It's mid-September. Everyone's reporting to training camp within the next two weeks, and Chris Paul and LeBron James, who came out very strongly on Twitter last night, are going to be asked about this on Media Day as will players on probably every team... Certainly all the veteran players who we usually go to for the big-picture type stuff or anybody who's been a very strong social-justice activist in the last few years... the Jaylen Browns of the world. We're going to be asking them all two weeks from now, 'What'd you think of the Sarver conclusion and the fact that he was not banned for life or do you think it was strong enough?' This is going to be front and center, I believe, when training camps open in a couple of weeks.
"There will be at least the possibility of more pressure on the league, more publicity around this story that maybe pushes this thing along. I can't predict that it's going to ever escalate to the level of the Sterling case. I want to caution on this note too: it's not fair for the players to have to bear the burden of adjudicating this or making the league do the right thing, but the players also have the most powerful collective voice on this by far. If Adam Silver can't act without the owners, if the owners don't want to act because they're the other owners and they just don't want to have to do this, because they're worried a bit somebody may be coming for them one day... who has more influence than anybody? It's the 450 players. It's LeBron and Chris Paul as the leaders of that Association.
"They cannot be ignored, and we cannot underestimate how big a deal it was. Dave, you said it, and I was alluding to it earlier... The threat of a player strike or any player action during the playoffs during the Donald Sterling saga was a huge leverage point or a pressure point for the league. I don't think we're going to get to that point in this case, but if the union keeps pushing on this and the players keep pushing on this, I don't think that the NBA can just say, 'Well, we've already resolved it. It's over. We've made our decision.' No. You can always tell a guy, 'You know what? We think it's time to sell.' If he doesn't want to sell, then you can use whatever leverage you've got. You can try to coerce, convince, whatever, and if he doesn't get there, then maybe you take the next step.
"Any given day, Robert Saver can just decide to step out. He doesn't have to own the team. He could also just reduce to minority-owner status, sell the majority share and not be the face of it anymore. Maybe that would be enough for a lot of us who think that this has fallen short to resolve it, but the idea of him still being in that seat courtside in about a year from now when the suspension's over seems like a bad look for the NBA."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Etan Thomas: Let me ask you this, because you gave a path that could possibly happen with training camps opening and players being more vocal about the situation and the possibility that could apply more pressure, but I want to talk to you about the difference in the Adam Silver that we saw yesterday compared to the one we saw eight years ago with Donald Sterling and the language that he used. Now, correct me if I'm wrong at any time in this. When Donald Sterling happened, he pretty much said, "I'm going to urge all of the governors to get on board with this." Something to that effect. Whereas here, it was kind of like, "Well, I work for them, and this is kind of what they want. I feel remorse and I'm sorry to all the victims and people, employees and everything like that, but this is kind of what we have to go with." Totally different, right?
So if Adam Silver had a different tone and approach, could that have changed things a little bit? Because after he did that with Donald Sterling, then immediately you saw Mark Cuban come out in support. The same Mark Cuban who before that was saying that we should be cautious because of the possibility of opening up Pandora's box, but when he set the tone, then the tone changed. You saw Ted Leonsis right after that come out in support. So my question is, in theory, could Adam Silver have set the tone a lot more than he did yesterday?"
Howard Beck: "Yeah, I think that's a really fair point. It's a weird relationship. Adam Silver's the Commissioner, he is the face of the league in a lot of ways politically... the figurehead. He is the lead executive for policy matters and all kinds of just general public relations and business deals and all kinds of stuff, but he doesn't actually lead the NBA. He works for the 30 teams, for the Board of Governors, and so they employ him, not the other way around. That said, yes, in that position, you have the ability, because you've got the bully pulpit and you've got the public's attention... you can lead on the messaging. You can say that, 'I, Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the NBA, believe that this is the kind of conduct that should not exist in our league, and I am urging our Board of Governors to go down this road.'
"The problem is, if you don't think that support is there, you just put yourself out on an island, and the Board of Governors may not be real appreciative of it. They might say, 'We're not there. Sorry.' Now you've suffered a massive public loss where some majority of the 30 owners has voted not to go down this path that you wanted to go, that you have now staked a public claim on. You have to be... Again, I hate putting these things in political terms, but there's an aspect of it. Just like you don't go make some major policy proclamation before you think you've got the votes, you got to count the votes first.
"My guess would be, and then I'm only speculating, but that if Adam Silver doesn't believe he's got the votes and won't have the support to banish somebody for life, which is again a very drastic step that's only been done once... then he is not going to go there. We can criticize it as, 'Well, that's a failure of leadership. If you believe this, you should push it this direction and tell the board to follow you.' But if the board doesn't follow you, now you're out on an island, and you've just lost a lot of capital publicly and with the board. I don't know what that does for your effectiveness in the role. Maybe it's the end of your role."
Etan Thomas: But he did do that with Donald Sterling, and we saw it be effective.
Howard Beck: "Again, I've said this, and Etan, you and I may have even discussed this at some point along the way here. I think that on the one hand, Adam rightly got all the praise that he got for making the bold decision that he did on Sterling swiftly and decisively &mdash; within days after that tape became public, I think it was. That said, it was really the only decision he could make because of all the things we talked about earlier &mdash; because the possibility of a player revolt, because of sponsors fleeing, because of the intense public attention and backlash that just did not exist in this case.
"We can sit here and say, 'Well, if we put everything down on paper, here's all of Donald Sterling's offenses against society. Here's Robert Sarver's offenses against society.' We put them both on paper, and we go, 'Yeah, I think those things equal about the same punishment in our view.' We could do that, but that's not the reality. The reality is, how is the world responding to this and what does that provide the league in terms of the momentum or the support or the cover to try to do something that's really difficult?
"Again, never underestimate the fact that Donald Sterling's wife, Shelly Sterling, as a part owner of the team, played a really influential role in being able to wrest control of the Clippers away from him. There's just not that same element in this case. You can stand on conviction and say that we are going to hold the line. This is the principle. We're applying the same principle broadly, even if these cases are somewhat different. But if you can't follow through, because it's really hard to remove an owner and because you're now introducing a lawsuit that is not going to be a suit against Adam Silver. It's going to be against the whole league. Now all the other owners are having to deal with the legal battle, the financial strain, all the stuff that goes with that. That's a lot that you have to consider before you go down that path."

Howard Beck opens up about the NBA's one-year suspension of Robert Sarver and why he isn't banned for life like Donald Sterling.

Howard Beck explains differences in Donald Sterling, Robert Sarver cases

Who is poised to become a free agent next offseason? Here’s a look at the top 40 NBA players who could be available next summer.

2023 NBA Free Agency: Looking ahead to next summer's free-agent class

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison can finally say he has made a draft pick.
The second-year GM and his club traded back into the NBA draft in a deal with Sacramento, acquiring G League player Jaden Hardy after the Kings drafted him 37th overall in the second round Thursday night.
Dallas was on the verge of going without a pick for the second consecutive year before moving back in. The Mavericks are sending 2024 and 2028 second-round picks to the Kings.
The Mavericks had the 26th pick in the first round, but traded it last week to Houston for Christian Wood in an effort to improve their frontcourt after it was exposed in a five-game loss to Golden State in the Western Conference semifinals.
Harrison said he had no inclination he would end up with a pick anyway, but said the Mavericks would be ready if a player they liked slipped down the board. That player was Hardy, who struggled early with the G League Ignite after bypassing college as one of the country's highest-rated recruits.
&ldquo;I just knew that we did the work, we knew the guys we liked and if guys like Jaden were available, that we would try to get back in,&rdquo; Harrison said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t predict that. It happened, and we did as we said we would do.&rdquo;
The trade for Wood was the second big move for Harrison since taking over for Donnie Nelson after the 2020-21 season. Harrison's first splash was sending Kristaps Porzingis to Washington before the trade deadline in February in a deal that ended the effort to create a unique European pairing with superstar point guard Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks didn't have a pick in last summer's draft in part because they sent that first-round selection to New York in the deal that brought Porzingis to Dallas.
Hardy, who turns 20 next month, was a potential lottery pick before a poor start with the G League Ignite hurt the shooting guard's draft stock. He played with his brother, former UNLV and Oregon player Amauri Hardy, and averaged 19.8 points while shooting just 38%.
The Detroit-raised Hardy cut short his senior season in high school in Nevada when he was averaging 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists per game. A few months later, he announced he was joining the G League instead of signing with Kentucky or UCLA, his most likely college destinations.
Hardy's rough start as a pro didn't dissuade the Mavericks, Harrison said.
&ldquo;It actually affected it in a positive way if that makes sense because he did struggle early on but then he figured it out," Harrison said. &ldquo;If you look at the G League Ignite as an experiment, it shows that it works.&rdquo;
Hardy will have difficulty breaking into the rotation of shooting guards in a backcourt led by Doncic.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock and Spencer Dinwiddie are returning after taking turns as key playoff contributors as the Mavericks made their deepest postseason run in 11 years. Tim Hardaway Jr. is returning after missing most of last season with a broken foot.
The Mavericks also want to re-sign Jalen Brunson, another point guard who ended up starting alongside Doncic most of last season. The New York Knicks appear to be positioning themselves for a run at Brunson.
&ldquo;It's tough to say how set the roster is until you know&rdquo; on Brunson, Harrison said. &ldquo;And that's going to be the first thing that happens. Once you know that, then you go along with the rest of the plan.&rdquo;
The Rockets ended up sending the 26th pick, Duke's Wendell Moore, to Minnesota. Houston also got guards Sterling Brown and Trey Burke, forward Marquese Chriss and center Boban Marjanovic from the Mavericks, who likely have their next starting center in Wood.
&ldquo;Christian, he gives something that we don't have,&rdquo; Harrison said. &ldquo;He's a good rebounder. He's super athletic. He'll be great with Luka in the pick-and-roll. He can play above the rim. He can also shoot. He's an offensive guy at that position.&rdquo;
___
More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

“I just knew that we did the work, we knew the guys we liked and if guys like Jaden were available, that we would try to get back in," Nico Harrison said.

Mavs trade into draft, get G League's Hardy at 37 from Kings

NBA trade season is officially upon us, as the Dallas Mavericks struck first on a major transaction Wednesday night.
According to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rockets-trade-christian-wood-to-mavericks-in-deal-including-no-26-pick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania</a>, the Houston Rockets are trading forward Christian Wood to Dallas in exchange for the No. 26 overall pick, Sterling Brown and expiring salaries (Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss). In a vaccum, the Mavericks only giving up that amount for a player who seamlessly fits into their system is highway robbery. Instead of spending a maximum-salary slot on nearly identical production from Kristaps Porzingis, Wood joins Dallas as an instant frontcourt jolt in comparison to Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber.
Wood averaged 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 block on 59.5% True Shooting last season with the Rockets, proving that he&rsquo;s a capably consistent offensive threat. The career resurgence of Wood has been incredible to watch in recent years, and now he&rsquo;s set up to feast with easy spoon-fed looks from his new lead playmaker in Luka Doncic.
Being able to bring Wood aboard for this low of a price is the correct move to make, especially with the Mavs looking to build upon Doncic&rsquo;s sheer greatness after a run to the Western Conference Finals. If the Slovenian phenom helped boost reserve bigs such as Powell and Kleber, envision what damage Doncic and Wood will do in pick-and-roll situations.
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These Christian Wood highlights 👀 <a href="https://t.co/Ddf6BHWdaD">pic.twitter.com/Ddf6BHWdaD</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1537276524470091778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Compared to Porzingis&rsquo; tenure with the Mavericks, Wood&rsquo;s pick-and-roll prowess will be a bit of an easier look for Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. Wood averaged 1.20 points per possession in these situations compared to a similar, yet continued year-by-year slip from Porzingis (1.17 PPP, 1.12 PPP, 1.10 PPP).
Whether it be in pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop scenarios, Wood is poised to ball out in a contract year for Dallas. And if all goes as planned, it would be stunning to see the Mavericks let Wood walk as a one-year rental. While some may argue that Wood has benefited from producing on a tanking team since James Harden&rsquo;s unceremonious exit from Houston, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe there should be any sort of drop-off within the Mavericks&rsquo; scheme. Catching lobs and being set up off movement, Wood&rsquo;s offensive gravity should immediately reach new heights in Dallas.
An angle to examine for the Mavericks, and why this gamble was an easy decision, revolves around how Wood will function within a Porzingis-like role. This season, Wood is making $19.5 million less than Porzingis, which is already a major win. And from a head-to-head production perspective the last two seasons, the numbers prove that Dallas made out like bandits in this deal:
Wood (2020-22): 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 block, 59.5 TS%
Porzingis (2020-22): 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks, 57.2 TS%
As you can see, there's little to no difference in the stat sheet between the two bigs. With Wood, you also don&rsquo;t have to worry about debilitating knee issues. (Though, Wood has had his knick-knack injuries before.) An athletic big who can maneuver all around the court, Wood couldn&rsquo;t find a better fit outside of Dallas. Wood is disastrous on the defensive end, but he&rsquo;s going to be covered up well by playing heavy minutes alongside Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock and Kleber.
There&rsquo;s little to no reason to spin a negative onto this deal for the Mavericks. If anything, being able to land a talent like Wood for the price they paid is more than worth it before he&rsquo;s even taken the floor. Anytime you can deal a late first-round pick for a proven rotation player who could potentially average 20-plus points per game next season, you have to do it.
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The Mavericks' current rotation looks to be filled to the brim with talent.
Starters: Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, Christian Wood
Bench: Spencer Dinwiddie, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell
Acquiring Wood also leaves so much flexibility for more moves to come with the Mavericks&rsquo; roster. Hefty expiring salaries for Powell ($11.1 million) and Kleber ($9.2 million non-guaranteed) remain. Also, Hardaway, Dinwiddie, Bullock and Davis Bertans are on the books with annual salaries exceeding $10 million.
Moving forward, Dallas is in an advantageous position to acquire the next disgruntled star to pair alongside Doncic. For example, let&rsquo;s say Bradley Beal re-signs with the Washington Wizards on a new five-year supermax contract. If Beal decides within the next year he wants to leave D.C., Dallas could be one of the teams ripe to make a deal because of its endless amounts of expiring contracts &mdash; even Wood included &mdash; and double-figure salaries; that might include Brunson depending on how the summer shakes out.
And theoretically, Beal could also slide right into the mix in Dallas around Doncic, Brunson and Wood, if Jalen is retained.
Dallas already carried one of the NBA&rsquo;s most elite offenses last season. Now, by adding in an athletic, floor-spacing big to the equation, expect to see Doncic and the Mavericks&rsquo; offense go to another level as they attempt to take a serious step forward.
Having optionality is the name of the game when you have a superstar at your disposal. Doncic makes the team-building process easier, and now, a big like Wood has the chance to fully blossom with the Slovenian star.
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The Mavericks made a huge trade leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft. Christian Wood instantly becomes a strong fit in Dallas.

NBA trade reaction: Christian Wood provides optionality for Mavericks

According to reports from both&nbsp;The Athletic's&nbsp;Shams Charania and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Houston Rockets are trading Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks.
Charania reports that Dallas is sending Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss and the No. 26 overall pick to Houston in the deal.
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Sources: The Mavericks are sending Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss and the No. 26 pick to the Rockets for Christian Wood. <a href="https://t.co/fbxxAL7OGu">https://t.co/fbxxAL7OGu</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1537239482394546177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Wood has been in the trade rumor mill for a long time, and this deal places him on a Mavericks team with championship aspirations. The 26-year-old averaged 17.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in 2021-22 while shooting 39.0% from beyond the arc.
Dallas, meanwhile, sends back several reserves who did not factor into the playoff rotation, along with a first-round pick that the Rockets can use to bolster its young core.&nbsp;

The Mavs reportedly traded several veterans and the No. 26 overall pick in the deal.

Rockets trade Christian Wood to Mavs in deal including No. 26 pick

In basketball, physicality is often akin to tug of war. Both sides are putting forth all their might, but one side has to topple the other into exhaustion &mdash; that&rsquo;s the nature of things. It doesn&rsquo;t mean one party didn&rsquo;t try as hard as the other. Sometimes, previous battles leave a deeper impact for one more than the other, and the next game is swiftly decided.
Amid these NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are engaged in a tug of war of physicality.
Game 1 went to Boston, who stymied Golden State&rsquo;s off-ball attack and applied its size to generate paint touches or open looks offensively.&nbsp;
Game 2 went to Golden State, who pressured Boston on the catch, extended its offense far away from the rim and sprung open shooters with hard-nosed picks.&nbsp;
Game 3 went to Boston, who chiseled itself into a 116-100 victory and snagged a 2-1 series lead, halfway from its first title in 14 seasons.&nbsp;
Physicality is a broad term, one that&rsquo;s been present through each of the first three Finals games. When teams say the opponent was more physical, that may sound cliche and coy, but there are nuances behind the ambiguity that provide a road map toward finer details. They reveal themselves through trends, statistics and on-court results.&nbsp;
Among those concepts for the Celtics in Game 3 was a revival of consistent driving and interior scoring. In their Game 2 loss, per NBA.com, they registered just 6 attempts in the restricted area (7.5% frequency), talled 47 drives and shot 15-of-43 (34.9%) on twos. On Wednesday, they tallied 26 attempts at the rim (29.2% frequency), recorded 61 drives and shot 30-of-54 (55.6%) on twos.
The leading proponents behind those contrasts were Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, who combined for 48 of the 61 drives, three days after logging just 27.&nbsp;
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Boston wields a notable strength advantage on the perimeter over the Warriors, whose point-of-attack defense is susceptible to breakdowns. Limiting dribble penetration stems from Golden State's synergistic help and active rotations, not a cast of staunch isolation stoppers. The Celtics exploited that on Wednesday, with Andrew Wiggins, Stephen Curry and Otto Porter Jr. regularly the targets of this approach.&nbsp;
Whether the edge stemmed from speed, strength or a marriage of the two, Boston ball-handlers dependably fashioned successful downhill forays. Improved spacing compared to Game 2 aided their efforts; multiple teammates were no longer parked in the lane or cutting inside on drives. Robert Williams III also camped a bit farther from the hoop rather than directly in the dunker spot, and floated around to occupy help defenders.
The Celtics did well to move both Kevon Looney and/or Draymond Green away from the hoop during their stints, which left Golden State incapable of properly enforcing the paint. While Klay Thompson had some noteworthy moments of weak-side rim-protection in Game 2, those two bigs are the lone rotation players who reliably protect the basket for the Warriors. They were often not in position to do so during Game 3.
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Contributing to Boston&rsquo;s massively-heightened rim frequency was Williams III playing 26 minutes, his most of the series, and nearly double his 14 minutes in Game 2. Aside from a few riveting moments in the second half of Game 1, Williams&rsquo; inaugural Finals have been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-robert-williams-find-a-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headlined by troubles</a>: poor pick-and-roll coverage, erratic decision-making as a helper and a struggle to discern his optimal defensive assignment.&nbsp;
Game 3 was easily his finest of the three thus far, notching 7 total steals/blocks, collecting 10 boards and scoring 8 points on 5 shots. His presence is indispensable for the Celtics. They need to play him and surf through the waves of frustration. That&rsquo;s why him being good feels imperative. Nobody else on the roster provides vertical spacing as a lob threat or inhabits the offensive glass like him.&nbsp;
When he survives defensively, as he did Wednesday, he poses grand issues for Golden State as an interior release valve and putback option. His length and explosiveness can overwhelm the Warriors&rsquo; undersized front line. Boston producing paint touches with Williams in the dunker spot has left Golden State in conflicting situations, unsure of whether to help on the drive and leave him open or stay back and risk an easy finish. The dimensions of his skill set are novel and critical.
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In the first half, the Celtics scored 68 of their 116 points and posted a sterling 136.0 Offensive Rating. Renewed driving profits were the headlining component, but they also functioned at a quicker pace. During the first two games, they averaged 95.5 possessions per night, while Thursday&rsquo;s first half saw the pace rise to 100.&nbsp;
Pushing the tempo to force cross-matches, typically with Al Horford against smaller defenders, seemed to be an emphasis &mdash; even if it was mostly confined to the opening 24 minutes. Horford&rsquo;s post-ups in the half-court throughout Game 2 were pretty fruitless. So, quick duck-ins prior to the defense organizing itself became the counter, and it yielded some welcomed possessions.&nbsp;
Clearly, Boston wants to deploy Horford&rsquo;s size in the paint. It merely needed a shrewder tactic. Empty-corner sets initiated early in the clock to highlight the size discrepancy between these clubs were also periodically featured.&nbsp;
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Boston winning the dance of physicality commenced almost immediately. Smart&rsquo;s screening was a weapon much of the night, beginning with a gnarly pick on Wiggins during its first offensive possession. The pick allowed Tatum to feed him and induced a shoddy stunt from Thompson, enabling Brown to knock down an open triple.&nbsp;
All night, the Celtics seemed to shrug off Golden State&rsquo;s potentially imposing pressure and spur defensive rotations. Smart&rsquo;s first crunching screen would not be his last, either. Boston spun its knack for dishing out and handling physicality into offensive advantages.&nbsp;
Physicality on its own is not inherently valuable. It has to do something and mean something; it needs purpose. The Celtics&rsquo; physicality very much had purpose in Game 3.
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(Side note: The last Tatum bucket in that montage is filthy stuff. Looney tries to disrupt his handle multiple times and funnel him to Jordan Poole&rsquo;s help on the left wing. But Tatum spins away from all of it, keeps the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder on his hip and converts a contested layup. The way he's navigated physicality this season has taken a vital jump and really stands out over the past three series.)
Much like Golden State&rsquo;s Game 2 offensive flurry, a combination of adjustments and uncharacteristic breakdowns from a stingy defense was responsible for the Celtics&rsquo; 116 points. On both occasions, the former was more salient, though the latter remained relevant.&nbsp;
Defense is a wildly fickle undertaking. One slight step in the wrong direction or incorrect shift of body weight can radicalize everything. A slightly improper angle around a screen or to cut off a drive reorients the possession. The same goes for how physicality manifests itself.
The best defenses minimize those events, but these Finals are underscoring that even elite units are susceptible to such ebbs and flows. Both teams embrace physicality. One isn&rsquo;t running away with the mantle of &ldquo;more physical.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s been a fluid title.&nbsp;
For now, thanks to refined driving, spacing and screening, Boston&rsquo;s the current keeper of that fluid title.
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Jackson Frank breaks down how the Celtics were able to win the battle of physicality with smarts in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Celtics' physicality revitalized their offense in NBA Finals Game 3

The term "X-factor" is thrown out a lot when it comes to postseason analysis. Its usage typically has a positive connotation &mdash; a player who defies expectations and helps the squad grind out a win by doing things outside of his scouting report.
Think Derrick White, who played hero for Boston in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals by splashing in 5-of-8 threes as a 31.2% regular-season outside shooter.
Here's the reality, though: Being an X-Factor doesn't always&nbsp;correlate to team success. As Jackson Frank wrote <a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/jordan-poole-nba-finals-warriors-celtics-analysis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this week</a>, Jordan Poole can swing the Finals in either direction. Through one game, Poole's gravitational pull certainly wasn't in the Golden State Warriors' favor.
Poole quickly rose to prominence after his debut playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 21.0 points per game on an incredible 71.5% True Shooting. His production tapered off in the following two series, though he was able to maintain his outstanding efficiency with 72.7% TS in the Western Conference Finals.&nbsp;
However, battling against the best defense in the league on the biggest stage possible could prove to be a different type of test, and we saw it unfold on Thursday night.
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Poole's Finals debut didn't go as planned. He mustered just 9 points on 2-of-7 shooting, turned the ball over four times and was a minus-19 in 25 minutes.
That's right. Golden State got outscored by nearly a point a minute when Poole was on the floor. His deficiencies were highlighted tenfold by a diligent, gritty and experienced Boston team that had the scouting report imprinted on the inside of their eyelids. The Celtics' brigade of switchy swindlers quickly turned Poole's dream-like postseason into a nightmarish scenario.&nbsp;
Poole's handle, sense of wiggle, fluidity and ability to create from a standstill are all special for a player his age. Some might call it unteachable. He's Golden State's most bursty creator for a reason, a player that can generate drive-and-kick magic by simply tapping the gas and zipping past his assignment to force the defense to converge. Many times, he'll use a medley of hesitation moves, head fakes and crossovers to initiate the slightest sliver of separation.
When it works, the highlights are delightful. When it doesn't, Golden State's pitter-patter motion offense quickly slips into a morass of standing around and clock-eating isolations.
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Boston was all too prepared for Poole's slippery nature, shutting off the water and turning Golden State's splashy whiz kid into a dried-up basin. The Celtics effectively let Poole dribble himself into a pretzel, flashing every And-1 move in his bag to no avail. When the Warrior guard did surge downhill, Boston quickly erased that airspace by hugging him close and pressuring his every dribble, disallowing opportunities to showcase his glitzy layup package.
Always quick to clamp down on an opponent's errors, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart each ripped away a steal against Poole when he showed his hand and made mistakes that a 20-year-old would: failing to strike from the triple-threat position in the first quarter and later foolishly attempting a spin-move in transition, both of which can be viewed in the clips below.
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Scoring-wise, Poole showed a clear perturbance versus Boston's pick-and-roll defense. Unlike Stephen Curry, Poole was unable to burn Boston with pull-ups when the Celtics unsheathed drop coverage in his presence. Playing Boston's bigs higher up the floor only further exposed Poole's limitations as a lead creator.
In the second clip from the video below, he nearly gave the phrase "buzzer-beater" a new meaning by smashing the shot clock with an errant shot after Al Horford stepped forward and shaded Poole toward the help of Smart.
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Shoot, even Payton Pritchard, Boston's most targetted defender in the previous three series, was able to survive in the minutes he was matched up with Poole. Pritchard has the requisite footspeed to keep tabs on Golden State's pesky lightning rod, whereas Poole lacks the core strength that normally overpowers and forces Boston's reserve guard off the floor.
Here, Pritchard does a nice job screeching over the top of Andre Iguodala's screen and rear view, contesting Poole into one of his four misses from deep on five total outside shots.&nbsp;
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One thing the Warriors should look to explore is involving both Poole and Curry in off-ball actions when the duo shares the floor. Doing so got Curry one of his cleanest looks of the game, and the same could easily go for Poole, who has shot 43.8% on catch-and-shoot playoff threes, should the roles be reversed. At the very least, using his scoring gravity away from the action is a far more prudent strategy than just spoon-feeding him a diet of pick-and-roll possessions in the friggin' Finals and hoping for the best.
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Look, it isn't inconceivable to imagine that the 22-year-old will eventually find his footing on offense; he's too gifted of a scorer to continue this type of production. What is concerning for Golden State was just how woefully underprepared Poole looked defensively on the final stage. The Warriors got eviscerated when they played Poole alongside either one of Curry (minus-13 together) or Klay Thompson (also a minus-13 together), and his inclusion in Golden State's small-ball lineup that went minus-9 in the fourth quarter was the ultimate nail in the coffin.
Poole looked overwhelmed by every aspect of the defensive side of the ball against a battle-tested Boston ball club, which, again, is understandable for a 22-year-old playing in his first Finals. His closeouts were sloppy and led to drives down the middle of the paint. Transition defense appeared purely optional. Maybe most importantly, Boston absolutely licked its chops at the thought of involving Poole in pick-and-roll actions. Tatum was able to beat Poole off the dribble and drive to the rim even with Poole in a drop. Yeah, that's how bad it was.
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Poole will be an evergreen target on defense against a Boston team that hunts mismatches like the Blade Runner, and if his offensive production can't overshadow his defensive deficiencies, Poole could quickly see his role diminish. Golden State has other options on the table if the lights prove to be too bright for the wunderkind combo guard.
The now-healthy Gary Payton II is just begging for an opportunity to muck things up versus Jaylen Brown and maybe Tatum. Otto Porter Jr. is arguably due for an uptick in minutes after his strong Game 1. Heck, even Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody could be worth a look should Boston's size and athleticism continue to bewilder Golden State's elder group.
Poole's meteoric rise has been something to behold, quickly establishing himself as one of the league's brightest up-and-coming stars after a sterling postseason. Boston and its titanium defense represent a whole new challenge, and an uptick in his production could very be the catalyst to Golden State hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy in a few weeks' time.
With the Warriors in a 1-0 hole, Jordan Poole is now more than ever the ultimate X-Factor. What remains to be seen is which team, Boston or Golden State, will enjoy the spoils of his output.
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Matt Brooks goes in-depth on Jordan Poole's struggles in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against a stout Celtics defense.

Can Jordan Poole turn it around against the Celtics in the NBA Finals?

Jason Kidd has been here before in his first season as coach of the Mavericks, down 1-0 in a third consecutive NBA playoff series. 
The Bay Area native is looking for another bounce-back from Luka Doncic and company in his first trip to the conference finals as a coach, which just happened to start in San Francisco.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-dallas-mavericks-milwaukee-bucks-kobe-bryant-nba-a6934fb817052fb13539d1d0bc4c2f31">Kidd is guiding the franchise</a> that was his first home away from home nearly 30 years ago, and is this deep in the postseason for the first time since Kidd was the point guard on the Dirk Nowitzki-led team that won the 2011 title.
“There’s a team out there that’s won a championship starting the same way, losing the first game,” Kidd said after Wednesday's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-phoenix-suns-golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-8d9a4604e727cdb17fb6bc6e394e1a06">112-87 loss to Golden State in Game 1</a> of the Western Conference finals. Game 2 is Friday night.
Kidd has kept the conversations on championships since replacing his coach from that 2011 title year, Rick Carlisle. In this case, he could have been referring to those Mavs, who beat Miami in six games after losing the opener.
With a steady hand as the coach, Kidd has help Dallas rally from a 16-18 start to finish in the top four in the West for the first time since 2011. 
The Mavericks started the playoffs without Doncic following <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-mavericks-san-antonio-spurs-nba-sports-jason-kidd-619222aa783a75cdbff2b01bf986cedb">Kidd's questionable decision to keep him in a regular-season finale</a> that had clearly become meaningless before the young superstar strained his left calf.
Kidd rejected the idea that he should have pulled Doncic, then the Mavericks won their second game without their All-Star against Utah and did it again when the first-round series moved to Salt Lake City. Dallas eliminated the Jazz in six games, with Doncic returning for the final three.
After losing the first two games at top-seeded Phoenix, neither of which was particularly close, Dallas won four of the last five, capped by a 33-point Game 7 victory. It was the only victory for the road team in the series.
“Coach did a good job of getting everybody to buy in,” Dorian Finney-Smith said. “He's the only person in the locker room who's been in this situation. He's always got a cool, calm, collected attitude, and I think we take that from him.”
Kidd has acknowledged learning lessons from taking a hard-charging approach to his second job as a head coach in Milwaukee, where he was fired in the middle of his fourth season after the Bucks gave up draft picks to get him from Brooklyn.
There was an unflattering anecdote in a book about Giannis Antetokounmpo released shortly after the Bucks won the title last year, describing a grueling practice on Christmas Eve when Kidd was upset over a loss.
Dallas guard Sterling Brown, who played for Kidd in Milwaukee, has suggested his current teammates are seeing a different version of Kidd. What matters most, of course, is his relationship with Doncic — which appears to be all good so far.
“I think we’re a way better team now,” Doncic said during the season. “He’s been great for us. He communicates with the players. He’s just been great, helping not just me but everybody, just to see a better picture.”
The picture has developed into the best one in a decade for a franchise still led by a European star. Doncic, from Slovenia, is a year ahead of Nowitzki (Germany) in getting to the conference finals — both in age (23 vs. 24) and seasons (four vs. five).
Kidd, drafted second overall by Dallas in 1994 before getting traded 2 1/2 years later and returning to win his only title, reached the NBA Finals with each of the three teams he went this far with during a Hall of Fame playing career.
To do it again, his team will have to beat coach Steve Kerr and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, both of whom faced Kidd on the court.
“The way he conducted his teams from that point guard spot, coaching seemed like a perfect fit,” said Kerr, whose final season as a player was with San Antonio when the Spurs beat Kidd and the Nets in the 2003 NBA Finals. “But you never know; a lot of superstars don’t go into coaching. I’m glad he went down this path. He’s done an amazing job with Dallas.”
Curry's overlap with Kidd was four years, capped by Kidd's final season as a player with the New York Knicks in 2012-13.
“My favorite memory of him is all the reactions and mannerisms he had when he was on the bench in New York and I was going off,” Curry said.
Kidd wasted no time getting into coaching, joining Brooklyn immediately upon retiring and leading the Nets to the second round in 2014. He couldn't repeat that with the Bucks, losing in the first round twice. 
“I love the chess aspect of the game,” Kidd said. “I love the mental aspect of the game. I love helping players achieve their goals — financially or winning. As a player, I played to win. As a coach, you play to win. Your impact is a little bit less, but you’re here to help guide the guys to achieve their goal.”
His Mavericks will have to dig out of another hole to do it.
___
AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.
___
NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks are hoping for a bounce-back game against the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the WCF.

Kidd, rekindled Mavs on familiar turf down 1-0 at Warriors

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the Monday's postseason slate.
Boston Celtics (-4.5) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
This series is going to be a war, folks. Two of the best defenses in the Eastern Conference square off in the conference semifinals, and I can&rsquo;t wait to watch it all unfold. So much star power and intrigue flows from both sides, but the absence of Khris Middleton looms large throughout. For the Celtics, they will be keying in on Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout the series. The question is, can Giannis break through the Celtics&rsquo; elite defense and change this potential outcome entirely? It&rsquo;s certainly something to monitor in Game 1 and beyond, but we&rsquo;re wagering on the home team here. Boston has the all-around versatility to make it tough on Milwaukee, plus Middleton not being out there is a massive blow for the Bucks&rsquo; offensive firepower. In the end, confidently hammer Boston to cover the 4.5-point spread.
Pick: Celtics -4.5
Player Props: Jayson Tatum over 30.5 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo over 30.5 points, Jaylen Brown over 23.5 points, Jrue Holiday over 6.5 assists
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Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors (-2.5)
Will the Warriors immediately steal away homecourt advantage from Memphis in Game 1? Honestly, it&rsquo;s a very real possibility for a multitude of reasons. If Stephen Curry and the Warriors&rsquo; offense find their perimeter mojo early on, Memphis is in big trouble. The Grizzlies certainly can match this explosive potential from the Warriors with Ja Morant and other scorers, but Golden State&rsquo;s new &ldquo;Death Lineup&rdquo; has the opportunity to keep Memphis on its heels early and often. I&rsquo;m predicting this series to go the distance for seven games, but count me in for the Warriors stealing the first of what should be many incredible games.
Pick: Warriors -2.5
Player Props: Ja Morant over 25.5 points, Dillon Brooks over 18.5 points, Darymond Green over 7.5 assists, Stephen Curry over 3.5 threes
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As the NBA Conference Semifinals tip-off, "Nothing But Bets" provides its best bets for Sunday picks and player props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 5/1/22

DETROIT (AP) — Luka Doncic has helped the Dallas Mavericks win 50 games, a relatively rare feat lately for the franchise.
The All-Star guard had 26 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds to lead Dallas in a 131-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
The Mavericks reached the 50-win mark for the first time in seven years, and just the second since winning their only NBA title.
“It’s a great accomplishment," coach Jason Kidd said. “The guys in that locker room can’t take that lightly because it’s not easy to do."
Dallas is 20 games above .500 for the first time since 2011, when they went on to win the NBA title. The franchise is set up to earn home-court advantage in the playoffs, for the first time since Kidd was their point guard during the championship season, after starting 2022 with a losing record.
“I think it’s pretty impressive," Doncic said. “We started the season kind of slow. I’m proud of how we played and hopefully we get to 52 (wins)."
Jalen Brunson had 24 points for the Mavericks, who have won five of their last six to build momentum going into the playoffs next week.
Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Cunningham had 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Pistons, who had won three straight to match what was their longest winning streak of the season.
Even with the game out of reach in the final minutes, coach Dwane Casey had his starters on the floor.
“That’s going to be a top team in the West," Casey said. “I wanted them to feel it and experience it."
Dallas led by as much as eight in the first, but trailed 34-32 after Doncic and Cunningham each had their fourth assist over the last 3.4 seconds of the quarter.
The Mavs moved back ahead in the second quarter and led 65-58 at halftime with Doncic scoring 16 points, making six assists. 
Doncic was called for his fourth foul at the 8:05 mark of the third. Kidd left him in the game and it turned out to be a wise move as Doncic was dominant, making a 3-pointer and assist that put the Mavs ahead 93-77 late in the quarter.
Dallas didn't have any trouble keeping its comfortable cushion in the fourth, finishing with 15 3-pointers on 33 shots beyond the arc.
“They do a great job of spreading out and making 3-point shots," Casey said. “You make one mistake and they make you pay. They’re a great offensive team, exactly what we want to be in terms of moving the basketball and knocking down 3s," 
CROSSOVER
Kidd is among the many marveling that Tiger Woods is teeing off at the Masters on Thursday morning, 14 months after a car crash left him in a hospital bed for three months.
“What Tiger is doing has already broken the internet,” Kidd said. “If he’s in the running for winning it, he definitely will shut down the internet. What he’s done to just come back, is incredible. I think everyone will be watching.”
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Reserve Sterling Brown missed the game for personal reasons. ... Forward Maxi Kleber (right ankle) missed a second straight game. ... The Mavs have won five straight against Detroit, winning each game by double digits.
Pistons: The banged-up, rebuilding team was without several injured players Marvin Bagley (hip), Hamidou Diallo (finger), Jerami Grant (calf), Cory Joseph (back), Rodney McGruder (hip) and rested Kelly Olynyk. “I think we have a couple of coaches, and we are ready to go," Casey joked. ... Faces in the crowd included Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, sitting with former players Mateen Cleaves and Mat Ishbia, who has courtside seats.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Close the regular season at home against Portland on Friday night and San Antonio on Sunday.
Pistons: End the regular season against Milwaukee on Friday night at home and at Philadelphia on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Luka Doncic leads the Dallas Mavericks over the Detroit Pistons for Dallas' 50th win on the season.

Luka Doncic-led Mavericks beat Pistons 131-113 for 50th win

During the Boston Celtics&rsquo; 125-97 walloping of the Utah Jazz on March 23, Marcus Smart attempted just one shot in the first period, yet played one of the best individual quarters I&rsquo;ve seen outside of a top-15 player this season.&nbsp;
Across his 12-minute, first-quarter stint, the 28-year-old handed out nine dimes, drilled a triple, forced two turnovers and detonated at least two more possessions defensively. Amid a game with five different All-Stars, Smart was its best player through 12 minutes. By the end of the opening frame, Boston held a 39-24 lead over the NBA&rsquo;s top offense and cruised to victory, fueled by a season-high 35 assists.
The win marked the Celtics&rsquo; 21st victory in 24 tries since Jan. 29. Despite losing two of their last three games, they&rsquo;re now 47-30 after beginning the year 25-25. A bevy of factors have powered this team&rsquo;s turnaround, one of which is Smart enjoying the best stretch of his career and it&rsquo;s been facilitated by a shift in his offensive role for the betterment of everyone.&nbsp;
Throughout these 27 games (he&rsquo;s played 25 of them), he&rsquo;s averaging 13.3 points, 6.8 assists (2.5 turnovers), 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals on 56.2% True Shooting (.436/.348/.775 split). Boston has elected to utilize him in more screening actions as the pick man and ball-handler, and entrust him with greater on-ball duties, both of which amplify Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s talents.&nbsp;
All the while, his <a href="https://streamable.com/uwr8ja" target="_blank" rel="noopener">savvy connective passing</a> continues to flourish, thanks to his instantaneous, purposeful decision-making when the ball swings his direction. He&rsquo;s a daring, frugal distributor, illuminated in part by his 2.6:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. That metric never captures the whole passing picture, but it's a useful snapshot for him.
By embracing Smart as the primary point guard that people have long stressed as the missing ingredient of Boston&rsquo;s offense, a once-stale attack sits third in offensive rating (118.9) over the past 27 games. Prior to that, the Celtics were 22nd (109.1 offensive rating), buried by poor and poor execution. Neither really hampers this team anymore; although, the ramifications of Robert Williams&rsquo; absence have yet to be fully experienced.&nbsp;
As a pick-and-roll conductor, Smart is wily and patient, though rarely timid. He excels at table-setting for big men and has formed a particularly collaborative connection with Williams. According to Synergy, he only ranks in the 22nd percentile in pick-and-roll scoring this year. Add passes into the equation, however, and he vaults to the 75th percentile.&nbsp;
Tatum&rsquo;s scoring gravity may open up more lucrative reads than Smart&rsquo;s does, but Smart is probably the team&rsquo;s most talented passer among its perimeter options. Balancing that duo&rsquo;s opportunities to commandeer ball-screens is broadening Boston&rsquo;s playmaking diversity and Smart is taking advantage of these chances.&nbsp;
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Among Smart, Tatum and Brown, Smart is the least adept play-finisher. Having Tatum (and Brown, to a lesser extent) be the catalyst for so many actions early in the year suppressed some of Smart&rsquo;s offensive value and complicated Tatum&rsquo;s job. It&rsquo;s not that Tatum cannot create for himself at a high level, it&rsquo;s that he&rsquo;s also practical as an off-ball player and Smart is adroit on the ball. Limiting those chances provides diminishing returns for both (well, all three players) offensively.&nbsp;
The Smart-Tatum pick-and-pop has been highly prosperous for the Celtics and they&rsquo;ve expanded its usage during this run. With so many teams switching on defense this season, the 6-foot-8 Tatum screening for the 6-foot-3 Smart enacts beneficial mismatches for the star wing, empowering him to easily shoot over the top or attack downhill to exploit a size advantage.&nbsp;
With Brown, his off-ball usage generally revolves around cuts from the corners or curling around a pindown from Williams. Both talented wings are displaying their off-ball chops much more commonly the last couple months and they can do so because Smart is such a trustworthy facilitator.&nbsp;
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Since Smart took on grander point-guard duties in late January/early February, Tatum is averaging 29-7-5-1 on 63.7% TS (.501/.391/.885 split) and Brown is averaging 22.5-5-3.5-1 on 57.8% TS (.491/.344/.714 split).&nbsp;
Tatum has especially thrived from Smart&rsquo;s amended usage, with 51% of his buckets coming via assists since Jan. 29, a notable leap from 43% before that, according to Cleaning The Glass. Similarly, his season-long TS% has risen from 54.5 to 57.7 over his past 26 games.&nbsp;
Whether it&rsquo;s sealing off smaller defenders inside amid early offense, flowing off flare screens into side pick-and-rolls or cutting from the perimeter, he&rsquo;s catching the ball on the move more often and encountering simpler scoring looks.
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Smart is also excellent when operating as a screener for Tatum. Boston has increasingly frequented that gambit to further unlock the superstar&rsquo;s resurgence and augment the entire offense. He&rsquo;ll create on the short roll or attack from the perimeter, and he&rsquo;s also netted a credible 37.7% of his 114 catch-and-shoot treys over this span.&nbsp;
Players who thrive off the advantages that a primary initiator fashions are crucial for any threatening offense. Smart fits that criteria because he&rsquo;s a sound decision-maker and gifted passer. When opponents toss two dudes at the ball against Tatum, Smart is a wonderful release valve who punishes the defensive tactic.&nbsp;
Even if Smart isn&rsquo;t the one punctuating a play, he can spark similar mismatches to the ones arising when Tatum screens for him. Either way, this action has been integral to Boston&rsquo;s 180 offensively.
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From ball-handler to screener to play-linker, there are simply an array of contexts Smart can be relied upon to execute favorable decisions. While it took a while for the Celtics to truly lean into that, it&rsquo;s occurred over the past two months and yielded sterling outcomes.&nbsp;
Smart is playing better than ever. Tatum moved out of his slump and resembles a dominant top-10 player again (positive shooting regression helps too). Brown&rsquo;s versatile secondary scoring is prominently on display.&nbsp;
The ball pings in Boston&rsquo;s offense to magnitudes it didn&rsquo;t throughout the first three months. Before Jan. 29, it ranked 20th in assist rate (58.5%). Since then, it&rsquo;s sixth (63.9%).&nbsp;
Ball movement isn&rsquo;t a necessity for effective offense, but the Celtics aren&rsquo;t loaded with high-level creators, so it's certainly tied to their success. Once they get the defense into scramble mode, they&rsquo;ve been dynamite at maintaining that advantage with prompt passing to produce a worthwhile shot. Smart&rsquo;s rapid, shrewd facilitating feels like it sets the tone for those sequences and this team-wide development (in fairness, Boston rosters many good passers in its rotation). 
Everyone rightfully discusses <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smart&rsquo;s defensive credentials</a> when extolling his virtues. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/defensive-awards-and-a-celebration-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned an All-Defensive First Team bid</a>this season and has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/give-marcus-smart-the-damn-dpoy-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a viable case for Defensive Player of the Year</a>.&nbsp;
But his on-court value extends well beyond being elite on one side of the ball. As Boston has remade itself into a legitimate title contender, his offensive contributions and reshaped role are glimmering &mdash; just as he did during a masterful first quarter against the Jazz last week.&nbsp;
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Everyone rightfully praises Marcus Smart’s defense, but his offensive contributions have helped turn Boston into a legitimate contender.

Marcus Smart's playmaking is vital to Celtics' offensive resurgence

CLEVELAND (AP) — With a large, loud contingent of Slovenia fans on hand, Luka Doncic wanted to give his countrymen a show.
The Cavaliers couldn't stop it.
“When all the people come to see you, you want to put on a show," Doncic said.
He didn't disappoint.
Doncic scored 35 points, added 13 assists and just missed another triple-double, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 120-112 win on Wednesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without star rookie forward Evan Mobley.
Dorian Finney-Smith added a career-high 28 points — many of them off passes from Doncic — for Dallas, which came in fourth in the Western Conference and locked up one of the top six playoff spots.
Doncic scored 20 with ease in the third, when the Mavericks took control by outscoring the Cavaliers 39-22.
With Cleveland still hanging around in the fourth, the do-it-all All-Star forward, who finished one rebound short of his second triple-double in two nights, put the Cavs away with a deep, dagger 3.
“We talked about there being a large Slovenian contingent in Cleveland on the plane,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "He wanted to put on a good show and came to work. He comes to work every night.
“He knew when to pass the ball and when to attack. Luka will have two (guys) on the ball and he trusts his teammates to make plays.”
Caris LeVert had his best game with Cleveland, scoring 32 points. Darius Garland added 25 points and 10 assists for the Cavs, who have dropped four of five and are trying to hang onto a home game in the play-in tournament amid some major injuries.
Mobley, one of the Rookie of the Year frontrunners, missed the game with a sprained ankle suffered Monday night and will miss at least two more.
One of the game's most complete players, Doncic dominated in the third to help the Mavericks erase a six-point halftime deficit and take an 11-point lead into the fourth.
Doncic did it almost effortlessly as the Cavs couldn't figure out how to stop him from splitting high screens and driving down the lane for either a short bank shot or an assist to an open teammate.
Dallas closed the third with a 15-2 run, highlighted by Doncic feeding Finney-Smith with a behind-the-back pass for a 3-pointer.
“He does a great job of playing at the right tempo and the right speed," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Doncic. “Tonight it was a pick your poison because his teammates were making shots. He does a great job of finding them and setting them up.”
“He's a wizard with the ball in his hands.”
Mobley's loss is a huge blow at the worst possible time for the Cavs. He will not travel to Atlanta and New York in the next few days so he can get more treatment and hopefully be back for the final few games.
Bickerstaff said Mobley's not in a walking boot, perhaps an encouraging sign the injury isn't long-term.
The Cavs have been forced to maneuver around injuries all season, and because of that Bickerstaff was confident his players would respond.
“It's a test of character and that our guys have passed time and time again,” he said. “Our guys don't quit.”
Another positive for Cleveland was LeVert, who has struggled with his role and confidence since coming to the Cavs in a deadline trade.
“This is who Caris is,” Bickerstaff said. “It was just a matter of time.”
TIP-INS
Mavericks: G Spencer Dinwiddie sat out the second night of a back-to-back as part of planned maintenance for his surgically repaired right knee. ... G Frank Ntilikina (right ankle sprain) and G Theo Pinson (right finger fracture) were also unavailable. … G Sterling Brown and G Trey Burke remain in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Cavaliers: Allen has missed 12 games since getting hurt on March 6. ... G Rajon Rondo (sprained ankle) was downgraded from doubtful to out and was sidelined for his ninth consecutive game. ... C Moses Brown made his first start with Cleveland and had 12 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes.
TEAM PLAYERS
Cavs forward Kevin Love and Mavs center Boban Marjanovic are among the 12 finalists for Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
A year ago, it would have been impossible to imagine Love being considered. He was frustrated and vented toward teammates on the floor more than once. But he’s changed and his turnaround has had a major impact on Cleveland’s success.
“He’s a guy who has truly been supportive of the guy (Mobley) he had to pass the torch to, and in sports that’s not always the case,” Bickerstaff said. “Not too many people at his level are willing to sacrifice the way he has."
As for the 7-foot-4 Marjanovic, Kidd said he’s never seen the big man have a bad day.
“I hope he wins,” Kidd said, “because he deserves it.”
NEW JERSEY (PATCH)
The Cavaliers are making a subtle but strong change to their jerseys for next season. The team expanded its partnership with Cleveland Cliffs and will wear the local steel company’s logo. It will replace Goodyear’s iconic Wingfoot logo, which the club has had for five seasons.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Continue a four-game trip Friday in Washington.
Cavaliers: Visit Atlanta on Thursday, beginning a stretch of three games in four days.
___
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Luka Doncic's big night fuels win for Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic's 35 points, 13 assists send Mavs past Cavs 120-112

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night with Los Angeles missing LeBron James because of an ankle issue while anticipating the return of long-injured Anthony Davis.
James and Davis didn't play after being listed as doubtful, which was actually an upgrade for Davis. The eight-time All-Star hasn't played since Feb. 16 because of a right mid-foot sprain. His first full practice since the injury was Monday in Dallas.
The question is when the superstars return. The Lakers (31-44) are tied with San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining for both teams. Coach Frank Vogel was non-committal before the game.
Los Angeles finishes a three-game road trip in Utah on Thursday before returning home Friday to complete a back-to-back against New Orleans. The Pelicans are ninth in the West, a game ahead of the Lakers and Spurs.
&ldquo;With those guys out, we&rsquo;re at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year&rsquo;s team has faced. When you lose &rsquo;Bron, OK, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks.&rdquo;
Malik Monk scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight for their fifth losing streak at least that long in the past two months as part of a steady slide away from .500 for the 2020 champs.
Doncic had 25 points in the first half as Dallas scored a season-high 82 for a 26-point lead. He finished with 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
The 23-year-old star secured his first triple-double in almost two months and 10th of the season with an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1508973213480497153?s=20&amp;t=1oiVTgbr4YMZ7HtyrqQYJg">offensive rebound for a layup</a> that gave him 32 points and put Dallas up 101-65 with 6:58 left in the third quarter. Doncic sat the fourth.
Maxi Kleber capped an 11-0 run in the final 84 seconds of the first quarter with a coast-to-coast layup just before the buzzer. Dallas shot 64% for a 43-25 lead.
One of the few times LA tried to defend the 3-pointer, Spencer Dinwiddie was fouled on a 3 that put Dallas up 63-33 in the second quarter. He missed the free throw. Dallas was 11 of 19 from 3 after Dinwiddie's make and finished with a season-high 20 in 46 attempts.
&ldquo;We respect who they are,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re dangerous. (Monk) played well. Russ played well. We took care of business from the start. I think those guys set the tone. Three great quarters of basketball.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: The other meeting in Dallas this season was one of the 21 games James and Davis have played together. The Lakers won it 107-104 in overtime on Austin Reaves' 3 with a second remaining on Dec. 15. Reaves missed all four of his attempts from deep in his return and scored three points. ... Stanley Johnson matched his season high with 16 points.
Mavericks: G Brandon Knight signed his second 10-day contract of the season under the COVID-19 allowances after G Trey Burke joined G Sterling Brown in the health and safety protocols. ... Reggie Bullock scored 17 points and was 5 of 8 from 3, putting him at 12 of 19 over two games after going 1 of 12 in the previous two.
DALLAS IN THE WEST
The Mavericks (47-29) moved within a game of Stephen Curry and Golden State for the third seed in the West. Dallas owns the tiebreaker.
The victory also assured the Mavericks of staying at least a game ahead of Utah for No. 4, the final spot with home-court advantage in the first round. The Jazz will have that tiebreaker if they maintain their Northwest Division lead over Denver.
HOWARD BENCHED
Dwight Howard didn't play again for the Lakers after coming out five minutes into the game. &ldquo;We got down 25 points very early in the game so I was looking for somebody else to get something done,&rdquo; Vogel said.
UP NEXT
Lakers: LA can sweep the season series against Utah for the second time in three seasons after going the previous 34 years without doing it.
Mavericks: The second night of the final back-to-back of the regular season is Wednesday in Cleveland. It opens the last road trip (four games) as Dallas completes a stretch of 15 of 23 games away from home,

Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 on Tuesday night.

Mavs rout Lakers 128-110 with LeBron sitting, AD near return

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic knows the Mavericks haven't had home-court advantage in the playoffs since the young superstar came to Dallas.
Coach Jason Kidd might remember the last time the club did, since he was the point guard on the team that won the 2011 championship.
The Mavericks took an important step toward the elusive top half of the Western Conference playoff picture Sunday night.
Doncic scored 32 points and the Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100 for the inside track to the fourth seed in what could be a first-round playoff matchup.
The Mavericks (46-29) moved a game ahead of the Jazz (45-30) in the battle for the fourth and fifth seeds in the West and earned a split of the season series, with the home team winning all four games.
Dallas would have to finish a game ahead of Utah if the Jazz keep their Northwest Division lead over Denver. The Mavericks and Jazz have seven games remaining.
&ldquo;That's what we wanted, but it's a long way to go,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;We've still got to keep our composure, focus on the next opponent and try to win every game.&rdquo;
Rudy Gay scored 18 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth in a row on a season-long, six-game trip that ends Tuesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert was a late scratch for Utah because of the 7-foot-1 center's right leg contusion as another 7-footer, Hassan Whiteside, sat for the second consecutive game with a right foot sprain.
Bojan Bogdanovic was out for the ninth time in 10 games as he battles a right calf strain, and Utah had a scare in the third quarter when Donovan Mitchell left the game briefly after Dwight Powell landed on his lower right leg.
Mitchell stayed down in front of Utah's bench as play continued at the other end and limped to the bench when he finally got up. But Mitchell missed less than a minute and a half, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
&ldquo;Most of their team wasn&rsquo;t playing, so you can&rsquo;t judge,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;We had a Christmas game out there without half our team. You only will be judged once the playoffs start. This wasn&rsquo;t a playoff game. No one&rsquo;s up 1-0.&rdquo;
Doncic beat the halftime buzzer with a longer 3-pointer to get the Mavericks within a point and set up a second-half surge as Dallas won for the 18th time in 22 home games.
Reggie Bullock connected on a season-high seven 3-pointers, finishing with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting beyond the arc. He had consecutive 3s in the middle of the fourth quarter to give Dallas its biggest lead to that point at 17.
&ldquo;I thought Bullock's 3s were really big 3s,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;You can't take all of them away. There's a few that were really impactful.&rdquo;
Jalen Brunson had 22 points while matching Doncic with 10 rebounds and five assists. They were the first starting Dallas guards to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the same game in franchise history.
Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points apiece for Utah.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Snyder said Whiteside has been playing through soreness and mentioned feeling it in a loss at Brooklyn last Monday. Whiteside played the next game in Boston. &ldquo;It's a hard thing to predict, how long or how quickly,&rdquo; Snyder said of the outlook for Whiteside.
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans scored six points after missing three games with right knee soreness. ... G Sterling Brown was out again after entering COVID-19 protocols during the trip to Minnesota, where Dallas lost Friday.
NCAA CONNECTIONS
On the same weekend Villanova reached the Final Four, Brunson shared the floor with Utah's Eric Paschall, his teammate when the Wildcats won their second title in three years in 2018. Paschall made his third start of the season with Gobert out and scored 10 points. Jazz rookie Jared Butler, who scored seven points, was the point guard on Baylor's championship team last year.
UP NEXT
Jazz: After finishing the road trip at the Clippers on Tuesday, Utah returns home against the Lakers on Thursday. The Jazz are 2-0 against the Clippers and 0-2 against the Lakers.
Mavericks: The Lakers visit Tuesday before Dallas starts its final road trip of the regular season (four games) at Cleveland on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back.
&nbsp;

Luka Doncic scored 32 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 114-100.

Doncic, Mavs top Jazz 114-100 for inside track to home court

Sterling Brown (health and safety protocols) has been downgraded to out for tonight's game in Minnesota, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/mavspr/status/1507409528639442949?s=21&amp;t=XtkwPbB3RwZKcb3OCmYiuA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mavs PR</a>.
Brown has averaged 3.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in the 48 games he's played for Dallas this season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Sterling Brown (health and safety protocols) has been downgraded to out for tonight's game in Minnesota. <a href="https://t.co/oUr6ORBonh">https://t.co/oUr6ORBonh</a>
&mdash; Mavs PR (@MavsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/1507409528639442949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Sterling Brown will miss Dallas' game tonight vs. Minnesota because of health and safety protocols.

Sterling Brown out tonight (COVID protocols) vs. Minnesota

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Chris Paul had 20 points and 11 assists with no turnovers, and the Phoenix Suns rallied late to beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-101 on Thursday night.
In a matchup of two of the NBA&rsquo;s hottest teams, Phoenix (35-9) finished a sweep of its season-high, five-game road trip and won its ninth straight against the Mavericks by outscoring Dallas 35-19 in the fourth quarter. Paul scored 10 points in the fourth.
&ldquo;Chris knows when to go,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;He showed that again in the fourth quarter.&rdquo;
Luka Doncic scored 28 points, Jalen Brunson added 19 and Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks (26-20), who had won four straight games and 10 of their last 11.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a team that&rsquo;s been running through the league here of late,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams. &ldquo;To beat them on their home floor like that is huge.&rdquo;
After Mikal Bridges&rsquo; floater gave Phoenix a 101-99 lead with 2:56 left, Bismack Biyombo &ndash; playing only his seventh game this season after joining the Suns this month &ndash; followed his free throw with a dunk to give Phoenix a 104-99 lead. Paul&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 19 seconds to go was the clincher, putting the Suns ahead 107-99.
Doncic had 24 points through three quarters &ndash; giving him 20 or more points in nine straight games &ndash; but went to the bench in the period&rsquo;s closing seconds after hurting his neck on a hard fall. He played eight minutes in the fourth, hitting 2 of 3 shots from the floor with none behind the arc.
&ldquo;My neck&rsquo;s not an excuse,&rdquo; said Doncic, who had eight turnovers and said he might have lost some steam in the fourth quarter. &ldquo;But man, they&rsquo;re the best record in the league. We were right there.&rdquo;
The Suns won despite shooting a season-worst 22.2% on 3-pointers (8 for 36), including missing 17 straight in the first half. But they forced a Mavericks team that was second in the NBA averaging 12.4 turnovers into 19 and outscored Dallas 31-7 on points off turnovers.
Paul has an NBA-best 49 career games with double-digit assists and no turnovers.
&ldquo;He pushes everybody,&rdquo; Booker said of the 11-time All-Star. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very vocal.&rdquo;
BY POPULAR DEMAND
With the Suns leading 104-99 in the final minute, Booker was called for a blocking foul as Dorian Finney-Smith drove the baseline. Every Phoenix player on floor motioned to the bench that the call should be challenged.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to trust the players because no player in the history of the league has ever committed a foul,&rdquo; Williams said.
But he did trust them &ndash; along with his gut and from what he heard from down the bench &ndash; and the play was reversed into an offensive foul.
THE PORZINGIS HAT TRICK?
During Dallas&rsquo; 14-0 run to take a 42-38 lead late in the second quarter, the 7-foot-3 Latvian had a block on JaVale McGee, scored on an alley-oop from Maxi Kleber and then popped a 25-foot 3-pointer.
TIP-INS
Suns: They&rsquo;re one win short of the franchise&rsquo;s best record through 44 games. Being 26 games over .500 is the most since finishing last season&rsquo;s shortened schedule 51-21. &hellip; Played their second straight game without starting center Deandre Ayton, their second-leading scorer and top rebounder (right ankle sprain).
Mavericks: Had won six consecutive home games, including wins over Golden State and Chicago. &hellip; Finished a home back-to-back after beating Toronto by four points on Wednesday night. &hellip; Played their second straight game without reserve guard Sterling Brown (sore left foot).
UP NEXT
Suns: Host Indiana on Saturday for their first home game since Jan. 8.
Mavericks: Home on Sunday against Southwest Division leader Memphis to finish a five-game homestand.

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Chris Paul had 20 points and 11 assists with no turnovers, Suns rallied late to beat the Mavericks.